Samsung Buys U.K. Firm's Mobile Business

By

Jung-Ah Lee

Updated July 17, 2012 10:43 a.m. ET

SEOUL—South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. has acquired the mobile-technology business of U.K.-based Cambridge Silicon Radio PLC for $310 million, as the smartphone giant seeks technology and patents to ensure its mobile chip and handset businesses stay competitive.

Through the move, Samsung, which recently overtook Nokia Corp. as the world's largest vendor of mobile handsets, obtains CSR's handset connectivity and handset location technology, as well as 21 U.S. patents related to wireless technologies. The acquisition...